An Unkept Memory
by spirit-mage-234
Summary: When Kaoru first met Kenshin on the streets of Tokyo that fateful night, she instantly felt a connection between them. Little did Kaoru or Kenshin know that it wasn't their first meeting...
1. Chapter 1

A/n: Pretty much the same. I just use light Japanese honorifics.

And we don't know Kaoru's mother's name, so I gave her a pretty name starting with a "K." lol. I'm also not sure when Kaoru's mom died, so I'm just going to say she died when she was six. Seems plausible enough.

**Too bad a story like this couldn't have exisited in the real RK time line, so that's why I wrote this. Still, RK is Nobu's turf.**

* * *

The warm, late summer breeze of the countryside billowed through Kaoru's hair as she rubbed her attention-loving dog, Yuta. As she rubbed the puppies soft underbelly, he licked her small hand, tickling it. She giggled when she heard her father's voice.

"Kaoru! Come now!"

A small gasp escaped from Kaoru's breathe as she gathered Yuta into her arms and hurried toward her father, Koshijirou. She would only allow her father to call her once.

"I told you not to fall behind me Kaoru-chan," her father told her with a stern and steady voice. Kaoru was sometimes afraid of her father's strict voice, but she knew that he would never hurt her, and when he did raise his voice (which wasn't very often, and at the same time, not very loud), it was only out of concern or protection.

"Sorry daddy," Kaoru replied remorsefully, squeezing Yuta in her arms. "It's just that Yuta-kun ran away and I went to go get him is all. I wanted to be mad at him for running off, but-"

"-You couldn't stay mad at him?" her father finished her sentence. Kaoru looked up at her father with slight surprise as they continued to walk. From her point of view, he looked like a mighty titan, strong enough to grab the Sun from the sky and use it his amusement. "That is what I felt just now. You ran out of sight, but when you came back, I couldn't stay mad at you upon seeing your face." He looked down at his small daughter, who was wearing a somewhat clueless expression. He then stopped walking and knelt down beside Kaoru. "Kaoru-chan, I want you to treasure Yuta like how I treasure you, my daughter." Kaoru smiled at her father, while Yuta barked, surely a happy bark. Kaoru's father patted both Kaoru's and Yuta's head, stood up, and continued to walk.

"Hey daddy, when are we going to get to Ishii-san's dojo?" Kaoru asked while walking in fast paced steps in order to keep up with her father. "We should be there by noon Kaoru-chan. Just keep up until then." "Yes daddy," Kaoru said. Besides training with her father in Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu, one of the most enjoyable times Kaoru spent with her father was traveling to various dojos that belonged to her father's colleagues in kendo. She felt so much at ease just walking with him, not under the pressure of perfecting a move in her father's sword style. Kaoru might have been afraid of her father at times, but indeed, Koshijirou was the most important person to her, since her mother, Kanae, passed away last year, when she was six. Since then, her father started training her in Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu as its heir, alongside with his other male students. Kaoru succeeded well with her kendo studies, but not with making friends, since the young boys weren't in order about a girl practicing swordsmanship, and that that girl perfected it better than they. The local girls weren't so easy to accept Kaoru either, declaring her a "dirty tomboy" and thus, refusing to let her play with them. Shunned by her peers, Kaoru spent most of her free time practicing kendo alone, until her father gave her Yuta, a Shiba Inu puppy, two months back. The moment that the puppy came up to Kaoru and licked her face with his small tongue, she instantly fell in love with him, a kind of childhood love that Kaoru had never experienced until then

_I promise to always treasure you,_ Yuta-kun, Kaoru thought while hugging her puppy_, just like father treasures me._


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry if I talk too much in this chapter. I just wanted to put some emotion into Kenshin's character, since he had just gave up his old ways a few months prior and had begun his quest to redeem himself.

Just some notes (woot.):

Kenshin's eighteen in this story; the Bakumatsu ended a few months earlier.

I didn't mention it, but he's wearing his signature red gi, but his hair is still in a high ponytail (It's a teenager thing I guess.).

I never named the city in this chapter. lol.

P.S. - sorry that I suck at writting action/fight scenes.

* * *

"If you keep taking this road north, it'll lead you out of the city," directed the farmer. 

"Thank you for your kindness, mister," replied the red-headed man. He started toward the road, when the farmer called back to him. "Oh, by the way," the farmer said, "be careful. Before it leads you out of the city, the road leads you through the slums. It's a nasty place to be." The red-headed man had a look of concern on his face, but it soon melted away into a reassuring smile. He waved his hand. "Don't worry about me, sir. I'll be fine, that I will. Goodbye now."

As the red-headed man turned away down the road, the farmer couldn't help but squint and stare at the youth. He noticed the young man's sword on his hip. _Hm. A swordsman_. As he inspected the red headed man - who was wearing a red gi, a gray hakama, and had his long, crimson hair fixed in a high ponytail - from a distance, the farmer noticed a distinctive cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. He could barely make it out, but he could see it nonetheless. Then, something suddenly sparked in his mind.

_Wait… Red hair? Cross-shaped scar? Could that be- _His eyes widened as he dropped his hoe and bucket. _Hitokiri Battousai?

* * *

_

Kenshin exhaled a breath of relief as he reached a remote stretch of the road in the city. "That was close," Kenshin said to himself. "I have to get out the city before rumors start spreading."

Kenshin could never stay in a town or city for very long. He couldn't risk an uproar if somebody happened to remember the rumors of the infamous shadow assassin of the Bakumatsu who bore a cross-shaped scar. Even though some people cursed the Battousai for causing so much bloodshed while others praised him for bringing in the new era, many citizens from either side of the struggle became very paranoid that the most lethal assassin just vanished into nowhere after the end of the Bakumatsu. Where was he now? What was he up to? Would he continue to kill?

That was the blessing and curse of being a rurouni who formally went by the name of "Hitokiri Battousai." Upon giving up his lethal sword and swearing to never kill again, Kenshin was free to wander from place to place, helping those who needed it most. He was never forced to stay very long anywhere if tension began to rise due to his arrival, as long as he was welcome to help, but even some stays were cut short. If the victim happened to know the rumor about the man who had just willing helped them, the reaction varied. Sometimes Kenshin would simply leave before they fully realized, while other times the latter caste the rurouni out of their residence, in fear for their own safety. Whether they were afraid of the rurouni's past grudges coming to seek vengeance at their home, the rumors of them housing a killer in their household, or the rurouni himself was unclear. Either way, Kenshin knew the consequences and learned to live with them. As long as he completed his task - protecting an innocent - it didn't matter how society treated him. Sometimes Kenshin believed that he deserved this treatment, for all of the lives he had taken as a hitokiri, lives that could have been the victim's loved ones.

Every time Kenshin thought of this, his insides wretched with pain. Many people probably wondered how he could live with himself after all he had done in the past.

The answer: very painfully.

When people thought of Hitokiri Battousai, people pictured him as a ruthless, heartless, merciless killer, and thought him to be a demon. A demon whose lust for blood never ended. Little did the people know that Kenshin would have to live out his days knowing the pain he caused -as he had the cross-shaped scar as a burning reminder- even though he believed his cause to be just. He wanted a new era, a new era where people did not have to suffer under a ruthless government. He wanted to do good in the world with his sword style, Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu. Kenshin was prepared to give up everything in order to bring the new era to Japan, but would Kenshin have joined the Ishin Shishi if he knew it would really cost him so much? It cost him a peaceful life. It cost him a wife that he loved dearly. It cost him a portion of his soul, and in order to retrieve that part of his lost soul, Kenshin would have to redeem himself at any cost, even if it meant wandering Japan - helping those who appreciated his help or hated his existence - for the next ten years.

Kenshin continued to walk down the road, occasionally glancing at the sky, allowing the sunlight to allow his deep, violet eyes to shimmer. "The sun hasn't even reached its highest point yet. This one should be out of the city before noon," he said to himself. As Kenshin lowered his head to survey his distance to the outskirts of the city, he noticed a drastic change in his surrounding.

No longer was he on the quiet stretch of road that he traveled on earlier. He was now in a dilapidated area of the city, the slums as the farmer told him. Though it was bright, summer day, the light did not help brighten the dank, dark area, and the heat of the rising sun caused the puddles of wet sewage to cast off a most undesirable stench. To top that off, grungy faces lingered in the shadows, fixating themselves behind crates filled with waste or damp allies, in order to stalk the next helpless victim who was unlucky enough to wander into this hell and do the unimaginable to them. Other faces didn't bother hiding their despicable figures. While some paid no attention to travelers (Who by no means wanted to stick around in the slums), instead gambling what little means of currency they had with others, some just stood, inspecting each traveler with a psychopathic sneer, waiting to strike when their victim (or "victims" if they were lucky) let their guard down. Three thugs chatted (most likely a façade in order to stalk victims better) by a dark corridor, one of which had a sword that was unsheathed. He most likely had it unsheathed in order to flaunt it to his comrades in crime or to intimidate his enemies, as the blade was rusted with blood from past scuffles. As Kenshin quietly passed through, the trio talked on, with the leader eying the rurouni.

He had spotted their next target.

"Hey boy!" the second man shouted out to Kenshin. "A boy like you shouldn't be out here alone. It's dangerous. Especially for boy who looks like a girl!" The leader was obviously playing off of Kenshin's appearance. As much as he disdained it, he did admit to himself that offhand, he did look like quite feminine. "I suppose so," Kenshin replied, "but it's dangerous for you too, especially for a man who looks like a dog." The second thug nearly bit his lip upon hearing Kenshin's smart comeback. He was about to lunge out at Kenshin, when the leader held him back, laughing. "Hey boy. You're pretty tough, coming out here all alone-" He glanced at Kenshin's sword. "-with a sword." His two cronies smirked at each other. "That's a pretty nice sword you got there, boy. Mind if I take a look at it?" Kenshin clasped the hilt tightly. "I don't think my sword would spark any interest in a man like you, so I'll have to decline your request." At the same time, the leader grabbed the hilt of his sword. "Look boy," he yelled, "I don't think you know who you're dealing with. Any little boy who comes in our territory with sword is asking for trouble! Hand over your sword- now!" He pointed his blade at Kenshin, hoping he would scare him enough to get him to give him his sword, as well as any other possessions that he had. Kenshin remained at peace, with no panic whatsoever in his figure. "I ask you kindly sir, that you and your friends go about your business- if you value your well-being." Kenshin's eyes become serious and slender, as he knew that thugs like these would not back down so easily. The leader of the trio nearly exploded with anger, being threatened by a teenager. "I guess we'll just have to take that sword from you the hard way! Get him boys!"

In a seconds notice, his two lackeys drew concealed daggers from their sleeves, and charged at Kenshin, who was steady and silent. His second-in-command got to Kenshin first, and raised his blade. "I've got you now punk!" He thought he had succeeded in slashing Kenshin face, but was dumbfounded when all he slashed was air. Before he blacked out, all he felt was a gust of air rush past him, then a sharp jab on his back. "What the- how did he get behind him?! I didn't see him!" exclaimed the third thug. While Kenshin had his back turned, the third thug found it to be the perfect opportunity to attack from behind him. "Take this!" Kenshin easily dodged his attack, then quickly ducked down and tripped his assailant with his leg, letting the thug to fall on the hilt of his sword, knocking the wind out of him. The leader's anger rose as he saw his last means of support fall to the ground. "You- you bastard! Now you're going to get it boy!" The leader charged with his sword at hand, while Kenshin prepared for his next attack. As Kenshin prepared, the leader leapt into the air, intending to take Kenshin down with an aerial based attack. Kenshin did not expect the leader to think of an attack so extravagant, but he paid it no heed. "DIE!" yelled the leader as blade was inches away from Kenshin's crown. Before the thug leader could even rejoice at his supposed victory, Kenshin phased from under the sword, and vanished into thin air. The thug's sword slammed into the ground, and he looked around for his target. "Where did you run off to you bastard?! Fight me!!" And as if on cue, the thug looked up, only to see Kenshin in midair, ready to finally show the thug what a "little boy" can do.

"Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu: Ryusuisen!"

Before the thug leader could even exclaim his astonishment, he was slammed to the ground upon Kenshin's sword colliding with his shoulder, shooting pain throughout his entire body. His body became paralyzed as he struggled to stand up, but couldn't. _Who is this kid? How is he so strong? _he thought as he struggled to stay conscious. He thought he would close his eyes for the last time at any moment, until he noticed that his supposedly fatal wound to his neck remained closed.

"Wait!." the thug shouted to Kenshin, who had landed on the ground unscratched. "Why am I still alive? **How** am I still alive?" He cringed upon speaking to softly. Kenshin decided to answer before he went on his way. "The answer to your first answer may not astound you, so I will not humor you with an answer to it. However, it is because of your first question that answers your second question." Kenshin held out his sword, reflecting it with the little amount of light that managed to seep through the slummy region. The thug squinted with all of his strength. He widened his eyes upon realizing that Kenshin's sword was no ordinary sword. Though it looked like a normal katana, the edge was on the wrong side.

"No way…" the thug said while trembling. "A, _sakabatou_?"

Kenshin placed the sakabatou back into its sheath. "I told you a thug such as yourself would not be interested in a sword such as mine, especially since it cannot take a life like yours has. I advise you to give up your sinful ways. Or your next crime may very well be your last." As Kenshin gave this harbinger to his fallen foe, the thug leader noticed a glint of amber in Kenshin's violet eyes. The thug's eyes widened in fear. "God-like speed? Red hair? A cross-shaped scar? A-a-amber eyes?"

With the pain accompanied by the thought that he and his lackeys challenged the famed Hitokiri Battousai, the thug leader finally passed out from the pain, leaving Kenshin the conspicuous victor in the dank alley. He looked around him and sighed.

_I had hoped that I wouldn't make a scene, _he thought as he gathered his belongings and continued to walk. _Oh well. I suppose that I'll have breezy exit out of the city from here on out, that I will, _Kenshin thought optimistically as he noticed the remaining population of low-lives in the slum cowering behind crates upon seeing Kenshin's brutal - but merciful - performance of swordsmanship.

Kenshin supposed that there were some good things about being an ex-assassin after all.


	3. Sneaky Preview!

Ok. So I haven't been able to go into depth with my fanfics, since exams are coming up. But I was able to whip up a special sneak preview for my next fanfic: Beauty and Battousai. It's gonna be my first AU fanfic, and my first BattousaixKaoru fanfic at that. As you can probably tell from the title (and soon from the preview) it mixes two classic fairytales into a great RK epic! Hope you guys enjoy the crappy sneak preview and stayed tuned for updates for The Snowfall's Reflection and the Unkept Memory. Feel free to leave feedback.

(I'm aware that I skipped studying in order to write this. In the end, I'm the one who looses.)

* * *

Cold and wet was what described that night. No one would want to be caught dead in the middle of a cold lonely street at this time of night, but the precarious and rampant nightlife continued in the streets of Kyoto. The laughing, music, and the lights seem very friendly and inviting, which they are.

During the evening.

As the evening drags into night, the nightlife turns into a very different scene. Beautifully adorned geisha with elaborately tied obi turn into disreputable prostitutes, with their simply tied in the front instead of the back. Business partners who decided to drop by a bar to enjoy some sake turned into clumsly drunkards who would grope anybody who came into their range. Perhaps the worst were the shadowy allies that were home to sleuths of gamblers, opium dealers, muggers, rapists, thugs, and, serial killers.

But that was the last thing that was on Kihei's mind as he stumbled out of the doorway of a gambler's layer, or, to be precise, he was thrown out. A shifty eyed man with a bokken yelled to the fallen oaf from the doorway. "If you don't got nothin to put up for grabs, next time it'll be your ass old man!" As the door slammed behind him, Kihei gathered his belonging (which were the clothes on his back), and fumbled along the streets.

"Damn, I got to get more money soon," he grumbled to himself as he walked down the lonely, cold street. "If I don't, Katsura and his gang will be sure to come soon. And-" Kihei didn't even want to think what Katsura and his thugs would do to him if he didn't repay his debt soon. He was desperate for money in order to avoid that faith. Apparently, he was not desperate enough to hold down a decent job for more than a month. The only people who managed to pour in a little money into his funds was Kaoru, who worked part time at a local restaurant called the Akebeko. He grunted as he thought of her.

"Damn wench," Kihei said under his breath. "I bet I wouldn't be in this deep of a situation if I didn't have her living under my roof. Oh well, it's nice to keep someone who is practically next to a slave around. She might come in more use in the future..." He pondered about his financial situation and how to solve it. Kaoru was too old to be sold as a geisha, but there were a lot of brothels around that were looking for a young girl of Kaoru's physique. She could attract a lot of worthy customers and bring in a few thousand yen a night. Perhaps...

His thoughts stopped when Kihei felt an uneasiness around him. And uneasiness that was usually associated with muggers. But this was more, malignant. Whoever was stalking Kihei was stalking him: solely for his life.

He searched his surrounding nervously. Nobody in sight. It was quiet. Too quiet. Kihei gulped and continued to walk forward. I'm just making myself nervous, he thought to himself. There's nobody he-

Soft footsteps were heard. They were faint, but there nontheless. Kihei turned around quickly. Nobody. But he continued to hear them approaching. As his hands began to violently tremble, Kihei unknotted the knot in his throat and decided to speak out. "Who's there!?" he shouted. He recieved no answer, but the footsteps continued. Kihei stood as still as can be, and tried to listen to the ascending footsteps. They were coming closer. He squinted down the road in an attempt to spot his assailent in the distance. At first the mist of the night stunted all visibilty. But then, to Kihei's horror, slowly appeared a figure of a man. The figure stopped when he took notice to Kihei's actions.

It didn't take him long to speed down the road in terror, looking for shelter. He banged on doors that were looked, came against walls with no openings, all the while the man in the mist edging closer to him. In a final resort, Kihei ran down a nearby alley, praying that there would be an exit at the end. As he ran, he tripped on a broken crate, which severly halted his escaped time, due to his weight and shortness of breath.

Then the foot steps stopped...

...And a voice emerged.

"Hiruma Kihei," the voice from behind him announced. Kihei trembled as he slowly turned around to face the source of the voice. There behind him stood a man, who was rather short in stature, but still struck fear into the eyes of his victims with his crimson hair -which was in a high ponytail - and amber eyes.

The man drew his blade.

"I have nothing personal against you, but you must die."

Kihei's heart raced. His eyes widen as he tried to run further into the alley, only to be stopped by the man's voice again. "There's no use running," he said. "There's a dead-end straigt ahead."

"Wh-why are you after me?" Kihei asked with a tremble in his voice. The man stared at Kihei, without the faintest sign of emotion in his frightening amber eyes. He spoke. "As I said before, I am not personally after you. I was sent by my employer. Whatever business you have with him is none of my concern in particular," the man said, pursing his lips before he decided to speak again, "but I was briefly informed that you were unable to pay your gambler's debt." The man flicked his sword toward Kihei. "Now, you must pay for your debts - with your life."

Kihei dropped to his knees and began to weep. "Please! Please don't kill me! I beg of you! I'll give you all of the money I have." The man looked down irratably as his assignment bawled into the wet sewage of the alley. This man's disgraceful will to live, is sickening, he thought, raising his katana preparing to strick. "My employer sent me to collect your life, not your debt. Unless you have some equal form of callatoral, your life will not be spared," he said briskly. He waited briefly for an answer from Kihei, who continued to cry uncontrolably, but recieved no audible response.

This is it, Kihei thought, karma finally found my ass. As the blade began to cut through the air, a thought hit Kihei's head.

Wait... he thought. He said EQUAL callateral. What about the girl? Kaoru?

"Wait!" he yelled, just before the man's sword made contact with his spine. "I have a proposition!" Kihei glanced up, and saw that the assassin's amber eyes were still on him, but glanced to the side for a split second, as if he was taking a second thought.

"I'm listening."

Kihei began to stutter as he opened his mouth to speak. "Y-you see. I-I don't have the m-m-money, but I do have one thing that's of equal worth: A daughter." The assassin's eyes widened. "A daughter, you say?"

"Y-yes! Seventeen she is. She's intelligent, skilled - not to mention that she is considered quite beautiful where we live," Kihei reinforced. The crimson haired assassin began to ponder the situation over. "And you are sure that you are willing to give up your daughter's freedom for your own life?" Kihei quickly nodded. The assassin edged the tip of his blade to Kihei's pudgy cheek. He flinched when the cold tip tapped him three times. "Though I do not have the final say in your daughter's fate, I will take you up on your offer." And with that, he returned his sword to its sheath.

Kihei was estatic. "Oh thank you!" he groveled, edging himself closer and closer to the assassin's feet. His fat nose met with a hard kick from the assassin's foot. "DON'T touch me, you swine," the assassin commanded, his eyes having a lethal look upon Kihei's dispicable figure. "You may have weaseled your way out of this, but if my employer ever send me in your direction again-" he flicked the hilt of his sword. "-I will not hesitate to eliminate you."

The gaze from the assassin's amber eyes sent Kihei into a state of shock, almost making him foam at the mouth. As he cowarded to the slippery alley ground once more, the assassin gracefully turned around, proceeding to collect the "collateral."

"Wait one moment!" He heard from behind him. The man stopped without looking back.

"Before you leave," Kihei began, "may I ask of your name?"

There was a dead and frightening silence at first, before an even more frightening answer emerged from the assassin's lips as he turned his head around to face the rat's face once more.

"Hitokiri. Battousai."

And as Battousai left the grimy alley, Kihei was left to wallow in his own saliva and tears, petrified at the fact that he came face to face with the most deadly assassin known to man.


	4. Chapter 3

Yay(!) It's time for an author's note(!)

Ishii Kouji is an OC.

In theory.

He's actually the Japanese voice actor for Kaoru's pop in the anime.

At least I think he is.

His English voice actor sounded like the English voice actor for Tokaki from Fushigi Yuugi, and when I looked at his seiyuu, I found Ishii Kouji.

W/e. It's still a good name.

"Ani" means "happy-go-lucky" or "easy going" in Japanese.

In celebration for my all time favorite Kenshin fanifc getting updated ("Her Existance" by Miriel. It's very good, but be warned: It is very disturbing.), I have reposted this chapter for all to see. And this time it's complete!

And also, I put a delightful little pun toward the end of this chapter, so please acknowledge it: It'll make me feel smart.

* * *

By midday, Kaoru was exhausted. She had no idea it would take so long to get to the village of Āni , where the dojo of Ishii Kouji resided, on foot. Though her little feet were tired from walking non-stop with her nap sack (which her father graciously started carrying for her halfway), Kaoru kept all whining and complaints to herself; she did not dare complain in front of her father, for that would show weakness. 

Āni Village was a rather sleepy town in the midst of the forest. Nothing largely eventful happened here, so the villagers where at ease mostly. During the Bakumatsu, the village remained safe from the blades of bloodshed, hidden among the trees, so they were never fearful of wanders who passed by their village. Kaoru had only been to Āni Village once, but that was when she barely knew how to walk. On that visit, she and her mother accompanied her father to visit Ishii-san. All she could remember was the beautiful cherry blossoms, and her beautiful mother looking among them…

Kaoru sniffled at the thought of her late mother. Though that and the few other memories were sweet, they felt almost bittersweet, since those were the only happy memories that she remembered. The rest were of her mother in bed, slowly succumbing to consumption, and then finally, the white cloth of death on covering her mother's face. Sensing his master's sadness, Yuta licked Kaoru's tears from her cheek. A small smile stretched into a grin as Kaoru snuggled her face into her best friend, letting no more than three more tears drip down into his soft fur.

Kaoru and Koshijirou walked a little while away from the village until they came to a clearing. In the middle lay a dojo, not as big as the Kamiya Dojo - since the Kamiya Dojo functioned as a school and a family residence - but still quite impressive. Sitting on the steps was a man, no older than Koshijirou. He came down to greet his old friend.

"Kamiya-san," he began as he stood and stepped down the steps of the dojo, "it's been awhile since your last visit." He bowed as Koshijirou and his daughter approached. "Yes, it has," Koshijirou replied as he and Kaoru returned the bow. As he looked up from his bow, Kouji noticed the small girl holding a puppy in her arms. He took her to be Kaoru. "Why hello there, Kaoru-chan. It's been awhile since I saw you. Why, the last time I saw you, you could barely stand on your own!" Kaoru blushed from embarrassment as she responded to Kouji, looking at her feet the entire time. "Th-thank you Ishii-san." Kouji bellowed with laughter at his friend's innocent daughter.

"Haha! She looks more like Kanae-sama every day," he complimented both Koshijirou and Kaoru. Though they were appreciative of the heart-filled compliment, any mention of their dearly departed mother and wife filled their hearts with anguish. Kouji saw the sorrow in their eyes and remembered Koshijirou telling him of his wife's death a few months after her death. "I'm, sorry for your lose, Koshijirou," he apologized. Koshijirou gave a small smile, though it still held a glint of sadness in it. "Thank you, my friend," said Koshijirou, as he rubbed Kaoru's hair, who was sniffling at the thought of her mother again, but soon let loose a small smile.

Koshijirou took this time to change the conversation into a more optimistic subject. "So, how have you and your school been fairing? Well I hope." The duo began to walk up the steps into the dojo, with Kaoru and Yuta following behind them. "Good I suppose," replied Kouji. "Most of my students have since joined the new Meiji Police Force these last few years, but a few have continued to teach the way of kendo elsewhere."

Kaoru paid no attention to the grown men's conversation. Instead, she allowed Yuta to jump from her arms, allowing him to explore the surroundings. As Yuta approached a flower in order to whiff it's sweet smell (then to attempt to devour it), Kaoru received a call from her father. "Kaoru-chan! Come inside the dojo! Ishii-san wants to show us a demonstration." Kaoru nodded in reply. "Yes daddy!" She scooped up Yuta in her arms (before he could successfully swallow the flower) and proceeded into the dojo.

* * *

After watching the kendo demonstration by Kouji's students, Koshijirou told Kaoru to change into her gi and hakama in order to give him a demonstration of what she has learned so far. Kaoru gladly accepted, and hurriedly changed into her gi and hakama. When she returned, Kaoru sported a white gi and a dark blue hakama, with her hair tied in a high ponytail. In her hand, she held her shinai, which was slightly smaller than an averaged sized one, considering that she was merely a small child. She approached Kouji and Koshijirou, who were talking by the sidelines where the rest of the students were seated. She tugged at his hakama to get his attention. 

"Are you ready, Kaoru-chan?" Koshijirou asked.

"Yes!" Kaoru nodded vigorously. The audience couldn't help but snicker at the young girl's cuteness and enthusiasm.

"Very well. We'll begin with your katas," Koshijirou answered. Once she began, he and Kouji found there way to the far wall and leaned their backs against it. Each one of Kaoru's strokes was firm for a seven-year-old girl. Though the strokes were somewhat rugged, the two colleagues noted how Kaoru lined her strokes with determination in order to perfect them. "She's good, Kamiya-san," Kouji complimented. "I can tell that her swordplay will flow with a certain grace when she grows older. That is, if she continues to practice kendo until then." While looking placidly at Kouji, Koshijirou thought about what he said. This wasn't the first time that this topic came across Koshijirou's mind. With Kaoru being his sole heir to the Kamiya Kasshin school, he would hope that she would continue the style after his retirement, death and would soon teach it to her child or children. But he had to be mindful of his daughter's own hopes and dreams, and if in her later years Kaoru would want to give up kendo in order to become a shamisan player or what not, he would not hesitate to let her do it. "Whatever Kaoru wants to do with her life, I'll always wish for her happiness," was all Koshijirou had to say in order for his friend to understand.

Kaoru probably thought differently - that is, if her seven year old mind ever looked that far into the future. With swordsmanship being her only companion (that and Yuta of course), Kaoru never looked into other skills such music, dance or culinary skills. And with no mother, who was to teach her the knowledge one must apply to them in the future? All Kaoru knew was the way of the sword - kendo. And that was all she was concerned about. Maybe once she mastered Kamiya Kasshin Ryu when she was older, she would consider allowing a suitor to court her, but as long as Kaoru had her father…

Once Kaoru finished her katas, Koshijirou approached her. "Very good, Kaoru-chan. Now we will proceed with sparring."

"Yes daddy- uh, Kamiya-sensei!" Kaoru quickly corrected. She almost forgot that while practicing, Kaoru was told by Koshijirou that he was no longer to be viewed as her caretaker, but as an opponent; therefore, she was to refer to him as "sensei."

The match began once they were both in their first stance. Kaoru was the first to attack. She lunged with great forced head on with Koshijirou, who blocked the attack with ease. Seeing her wide open, he attacked next, only to find Kaoru side stepping out of his path and aiming her shinai at his leg. A trip to the leg and quick defeat would have been inevitable if Koshijirou hadn't blocked at the last second. Koshijirou smirked at his young daughter's intellect. "Good, Kaoru-chan. Not good enough however." Kaoru recognized her flaw, and entered her second stance.

* * *

After thirty minutes of sparing, Koshijirou and Kaoru retired. Though she put up a good fight, Kaoru ultimately lost to her more superior father. She knew that he was better than she: it was his style after all. But at times, Kaoru felt that she would never reach the expectations of her father. If it was because she was a seven or a girl, or both, she was not sure. Of course, being the stubborn girl that she was, Kaoru wasn't going to let that get in her way. She hadn't let the other students' intimidation do so - and they were all boys that were up to two or five years older than herself. And she beat them all at one time or another. Why would she let this? 

While toweling the sweat off of her dampened face, Koshijirou walked toward Kaoru. "Good work today, Kaoru-chan. You put up a good fight, and Ishii-san's students were quite impressed with your performance." He kneeled down and rested his hand on Kaoru's shoulder. "You're on your way to becoming a true master of the Kamiya-Kasshin School." A gentle smile crossed his face, and Kaoru's eyes brightened. "Thank you, Kamiya-sensei," she thanked while bowing.

"Now, now, Kaoru-chan. Why don't you freshen up and play outside for awhile with Yuta-kun? I have to discuss some business with Ishii-san for awhile," said Koshijiro as the students were being dismissed from practice by Kouji. Kaoru nodded. "Yes daddy," she replied, beckoning for Yuta (who was sleeping in a corner during the practice) and then turning toward the door. "And Kaoru!" Koshijiro shouted back, "stay around the dojo! And come back at sunset!"

Kaoru stopped and turned around, smiling and nodding. "Ok daddy!" Kaoru promised, Yuta barked as if he was complying as well. As the two walked out of the dojo, Koshijiro smirked and thought of how cute his daughter could be - nay - was. He thought is was pretty silly of a man who fought through the Bakumatsu to think such fluffy thoughts, but he couldn't help it: It was true after all. Having dismissed his students and making sure that they have all left the dojo, Kouji approached his colleague with a placid but serious demeanor.

"It is time that we discussed business," he said.

Koshijiro replied with stern nod.

* * *

After freshening up at the well and putting on a fresh kimono, Kaoru skipped to the pasture south of the dojo. "Yuta-kun!" she called, trying to find his location so he could join her. To her surprise, Yuta had read Kaoru's mind, as he was already in the pasture, trailing butterflies in the air. Kaoru made her way toward the field, which was in full bloom with yellow, white and violet flowers. She gleefully gasped as she ran through the pasture, though very carefully in fear of crushing the poor things. Bending over, she sniffed some soft yellow flowers, only to find a bumble bee inside collecting pollen. Kaoru quickly snapped her head back, but was calmed at the fact that the bee merely wanted to collect its pollen, with no intention of harming her. 

Kaoru then turned around and started picking some little violet flowers. She noticed that the last flower was much bigger than the others, and soon realized that it wasn't a only a flower, but a violet butterfly sitting on the petals. Kaoru stared in awe at the butterfly, who paid no mind to the creature that disturbed its resting place. As it gracefully opened and closed its wings - causing the iridescent wings to shimmer in the sunlight - the butterfly flew away at the frantic approach of Yuta, who pursued that butterfly as well. Kaoru watched sadly as the butterfly flew higher and higher out of her reach, but smiled that it looked so much more beautiful while in flight.

Yuta, however, continued to chase other surrounding insects wildly - and loudly - in the area. Kaoru turned around in a very maternal manner. "Yuta!" she barked, leaving out the honorific. "You shouldn't do that to the other animals!" Kaoru never liked disciplining her dog, and she remembered why she hated it so when she saw Yuta whimpering to the ground, tailed tucked and ears flapped. Kaoru's expression changed to remorse as quickly as it had disciplinary. She walked to Yuta, taking him in her arms, and snuggled him. "I'm sorry Yuta-kun," she apologized, nuzzling the Shiba-inu's soft, puppy fur. "But you shouldn't do that to other animals. They're just trying to have a good time, like you and me." As if he understood his owner once again, Yuta licked Kaoru's nose playfully, causing her to giggle. "Promise to be nice to other animals Yuta-kun, 'kay?" Yuta barked in reply. Kaoru giggled again. "Hey, I know how to make it up to you!"

Ordering Yuta to sit patiently (as he could) on the soft patch of earth surrounding them, Kaoru began chaining the violet flowers together, until they formed a complete hoop. Kaoru put the flower collar (it was intended to be a crown, but it was too big) around Yuta's neck. At first, Yuta tried to looked down quizzically at the object that was rung around his neck. Then, he decided to try to get a better look by switching his head back and forth. Kaoru laughed at her dog's playful antics, until Yuta managed to tear the collar up, devouring the flowers soon after. Kaoru sighed as Yuta licked up the last petal, burping afterward. _If I had a _human_ friend my gifts wouldn't be appreciated as food,_ Kaoru thought.

Yes. A real friend. A friend that Kaoru could spend long afternoons playing in the yard of her father's dojo under the sakura tree, teaching her friend how to wield a boken on some days, while her friend in turn taught her to be more "lady like". But for now, all she had was her Yuta. None of the neighborhood girls would play with a "sweaty and greasy" girl like Kaoru, so she had no chance there. The boys were no better, what with Kaoru being better than them at a skill that was only reserved "for men". Still, Kaoru would tell herself that she didn't need any of them, and that Yuta and father were more than enough, but having another friend wouldn't hurt at all…

Meanwhile, Yuta decided to make friends with what seemed like a - yes! A bunny! It had come up so quietly that Kaoru didn't even notice it snagging flowers petals with its incisors, balancing itself on its large feet. Kaoru's eyes watered at the sight of the rabbit: its thin, brown summer fur was velvety and patchy brown, and though Kaoru couldn't touch it, she could tell that it would still be as soft as its simple but luxurious winter coat. For a moment, the rabbit took its eyes off of its next snack and instead turned its brown eyes toward Kaoru, twitching its nose as it sniffed the air for predators. It was so cute: Kaoru just wanted to wobble over to the lagomorph and snuggled it till days on end, but she knew it best to leave it be and just watch from the distance, which was actually quite short. Too bad Yuta didn't have the same idea. His idea of "being friendly" toward other animals almost always involved chasing them, whether it was malicious or purely play. This time, it was purely for play, as the rabbit seemed like an ideal playing partner to the curious puppy. Of course, most small animals that often fell prey to animals such as those classified as canines didn't have fun in mind when a set of small teeth came running in toward their direction. So, the rabbit just acted on its stimuli: it hopped away as the puppy pursued it into the woods near the clearing.

At first, Kaoru was disappointed that another interesting creature was once again chased away by a dog that they thought would kill them, but her emotions soon turned to worry when her disobedient dog failed to return after it had chased the rabbit nearly five minutes earlier.

"Yuta-kun!" Kaoru called out.

She received no answer.

A worried look entered her face as she approached the boundary of the pasture and the forest. Father told her not to venture into the woods. But what if Yuta got hurt, or-

"Yuta-kun!" Kaoru called out again, this time louder so that her voice would carry amongst the trees. This time she heard a faint bark echoing off of the trees, though the dog was nowhere in sight yet. Without a second's notice, Kaoru stepped over the forbidden boundary line and ran into the woods, calling out Yuta's name in order to get a response to follow his bark by. There was no trail in these woods, so Kaoru had to burst through twigs and sticks that ripped and snagged at her kimono, but she wouldn't stop, not until she found Yuta.

At last, Kaoru came upon another clearly, though this one was nowhere near as well kept as the pasture. No - this clearly hadn't looked like it was inhabited for years. Kaoru saw Yuta stranded by a ruptured well - the poor puppy was so confused and lost; it had lost the rabbit awhile back in the woods, and somehow found himself in this unknown environment, so he decided to chase his tail in hope that it would point him in the direction of Kaoru. His tail was no solution, but thankfully Kaoru had found his way to him instead of his tail finding her, so Yuta wagged his tail in delight as Kaoru ran up to him, scooping him up and allowing him to whimper in fear in her arms.

"Yuta-kun," Kaoru began in a stern, motherly voice, "don't ever do that again. You could have gotten hurt. Or worst." Yuta tried to reconcile with his patented lick to the cheek, but it wouldn't sway Kaoru this time. She was serious.

"Come on. Let's get back before daddy-" It was then Kaoru noticed her own dilemma.

She had no idea where she was.

The forest didn't have a trail, and Kaoru blindly ran through it, with only Yuta's bark as her path. What made things worse was that all of the foliage looked equally uprooted from every direction, so she couldn't retrace her tracks that way. Which direction had she come from? Every adult that had met Kaoru was impressed by her kendo skills at such an early age. Alas, she _was_ still a seven year old, and therefore had no sense of cardinal directions yet. All Kaoru could do was wander in hopes that she would come along the familiar road that she and her father had taken in order to get to Āni Village or come across a friendly (and sane) travel who could help her.

Kaoru began her long journey by spinning three-sixty on her heel, looking for any sign of a road or trail leading out of the clearing. There was no road in front of her or to either of her sides, just the forest she had come out of followed by more forest. Kaoru knew better that there had to be some trace of a road here; why would someone build a well where nobody could get to it? The only direction Kaoru hadn't looked was behind her, which wasn't forest, but over grown with tall grass. Hurriedly, Kaoru approached it with Yuta at hand, but still cautious in case someone - or something - was in hiding in the thicket. She cleared her way while looking at the ground for pit vipers. While looking down, Kaoru had spotted the first sign toward find her way out: leveled dirt that had been intentionally pounded in order to clear a path for a road. Kaoru's heart almost skipped with glee when she made this discovery, but reminded herself that she wasn't out of the woods yet. Still keeping Yuta close (she didn't want him to run off and get lost in the thicket), Kaoru pushed through grass, weeds, and rocks for a few minutes more, until she met the end of the trail. Hopefully, she would find some sort of civilization that would help her.

What Kaoru found instead completely stunned her, in both a hopeful way and a frightened way.

Beyond the grass thicket was a village.

Her hopeful side told her it was a good thing because it was a village square and simple. However, her frightened side told her that it was abandoned, a ghost town with nothing left but skeletons of the houses that once inhabited living skeletons, which were nowhere to be found.

"What, is this place?" Kaoru asked herself, knowing that Yuta for sure wouldn't not know the answer. She took a hesitant step out of the grass thicket trail. "Where is everyone?" In all directions of the village all she Kaoru could sense was death and desertion. Though young and still naïve, Kaoru knew something bad happened in this village to make it the way it appeared now. Luckily, that sweet naivety would keep Kaoru from the truth of the horrors of the Bakumatsu for a little while longer. Knowing the only way to get out of this place that was full of dread was to walk through it, hoping to find another road that would lead her home, Kaoru set Yuta down on the ground and took another brave step into the dread zone. As soon as she stepped, an enigmas cold wind swept through her hair, as if warning her of bad things to come if she did not get out of there soon. Kaoru took this superstition with heed, and quickened her feet with caution.

"Yuta-kun," Kaoru said with caution and authority once again, "I know you have a habit of wandering off, but please stay close, and look out, okay?" Yuta didn't have to bark to agree with Kaoru: he was practically trying to jump back in her arms, a place that always made him feel safe from a hideous world such as this one. Allowing a small but scared smile to glide across her face, Kaoru welcomed Yuta back in her arms. Kaoru walked further into the village. The village seemed like it was once small in population, but the houses were arranged so that the houses were in rows instead of scattered, so it appeared much longer.

Walking through dirty puddles and tripping over strewn logs and debris, Kaoru found it hard to keep her eyes steadfast in front of her when she was constantly looking over her shoulder from the sound of creaking and crashes from the ruined houses. Kami, she hoped no one, or nothing, was lurking in the dank and cold structures that were once warm and welcoming homes.

As Kaoru approached what seemed to be the middle of the village. A sudden crash of wood coming from one skeleton shook her body. Turning around frantically, Kaoru investigated on where the crash came from without moving from her spot. "W-who's there?" she called out. Despite her best efforts to be brave, her voice came out in a shiver of fear. She got no reply at first, only another bang and a low growl, coming from the house to her right, seconds later. What happened next made Kaoru's heart literally stop for the next 20 seconds. From within the dark house, with only a few beams of light coming from the torn roof, a shadow lurked, and sprang out before Kaoru was even given a chance to move. All Kaoru could manage to do was impact with the ground and scream as the shadow figure stood on top of her for a second, sniffed her face, and trailed off. Shaking as she tried to get to her feet, Kaoru looked at her assailant, which was nothing more than a tanuki, who, as soon as it noticed Kaoru staring back at it with wide eyes, scurried into the backwoods, disappearing into the forest.

Still shaken from her "attack", Kaoru scrambled to her feet as fast as she could, intending to run out of the village before anything else attacked her for real. Only, she couldn't, because it appeared that when Kaoru was preoccupied with the tanuki, Yuta had run away in fear in the midst of the commotion. Kaoru whipped her head around in all directions. "Yuta-kun!" Kaoru screamed. _Have I lost him again? I can't! I can't be alone here!_ She thought as she looked behind corners of the collapsed houses. She hoped to Kami that he didn't run into the forest again. If he did, Kaoru didn't think she would be able to follow him without getting even more lost.

Abrupt barking came from the direction where Kaoru and Yuta first entered the abandoned village, and Kaoru wasted no time in rushing in said direction. Once she got there, Yuta was not at the location she had thought him to be, which was at the starting point of the grass thicket. Instead, the barking came from the far corner of the village, where several loads of debris were scattered about. Kaoru approached hastily, looking for Yuta's form in every which way.

After much scrutinizing, Kaoru found her dog huddled under two planks of wood, which formed a tent shaped structure. Kaoru approached him calmly, happy that she found her dog well, but he was none to happy to see her. No, he was not the scary puppy that crawled in the nook of his master's arms when she held him: he was growling, likely still paranoid from the tanuki. Not wanting to frightened him even more (and earn a nasty bite as well), Kaoru stepped toward Yuta calmly, careful not to fidget the woods that surrounded her feet.

"Shh, shh. It's ok Yuta-kun. It's me, Kaoru," she said soothingly as she began to coax the puppy out from it's hiding place by wafting her familiar scent via her hand. Little by little, Yuta edged out of the formation, taking two steps forward and then one step back, until his body was well out of tent. "Ok Yuta-kun. Now come to me so we can get out of-"

Screams descended into darkness as Kaoru took a step too far on a faulty plank of wood, which covered an abandoned well in that section of the abandoned village, a death trap to anyone or thing that wandered into those forbidden grounds, abandoned by the Bakumatsu.

* * *

Finally. Some stuff happened. Well, stuff happened in the last chapter, just not on this level. I bet you guys don't know who will be introduced to who in the next chapter. He he... 

I'm done with that chapter by the way, I'm just coordinating the time.

I'm making you all suffer.

Toodles...


	5. Chapter 4

I can already tell you all that this will have a cliffhanger ending. Hehe.

So yeah. Read now. Review after.

* * *

Dark. Cold. Damp. Alone.

Kaoru shivered as she tried to find a root or anything that would help her climb out of the well. She felt around the wall, but felt nothing that she could grasp in order to climb up. Desperately, Kaoru tried to dig her fingers into a wall of loose dirt. Beneath the mud, she was able to find a root that she could grasp her finger around. Finally! A gleam of hope shined in the darkness of the well as Kaoru propped her foot against a brick at the base of the wall. Kaoru felt a loose brick higher up the wall that was originally out of her reach, she wiggled the brick, not applying all of her pressure on the brick. It seemed sturdy against the wall. She grabbed it as she brought her right foot up from the watery bottom below. As Kaoru gathered her strength in order to bring her body upward, the mud from the bottom of her geta caused her foot to loose its friction, causing Kaoru to loose her grip and fall to the wet, dank bottom once again.

"Ow!" Kaoru shrilled as she tried to pick her self up, but failed to due to the extreme pain in her ankle from her second fall. She rubbed her ankle vigorously, hoping that the heat would ease the pain. It didn't. She was certain that her sprained ankle turned to a broken ankle. Kaoru wobbled to the brick that was originally used as her escape ploy to sit on, dipping her injured foot in the cold, water so that it would numb the pain. Looking up at the sky that seemed so far from the bottom of the well, Kaoru clutched her shoulders and shivered., as her wet and muddy kimono didn't help to keep her warm. She heard the distant barks of Yuta nearby, probably wandering among the dilapidated houses trying to search for her scent. "The sun is setting," Kaoru said, still looking upward as twilight approached. "I hope Yuta-kun will be alright all by himself…" Suddenly, Kaoru finally felt some warmth in the bottom of the well: tears streaking down her cheeks. Kaoru brought her injured foot from the water, and rocked her body as she cried. She always hated crying, even if she was crying by herself. She didn't want to be so weak, since she was being raised with the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. But now, Kaoru was wondering if she would ever get out of this watery pit - alive.

"Please," Kaoru whimpered, trying to wipe the tears away, "won't somebody come for me?"

* * *

All day Kenshin walked, trying to find the nearest town for lodging, but he found no civilization beside a few travelers going the opposite direction and some shrines amongst the trees. He glanced behind him, seeing the setting sun turning the sunset into twilight, which would soon turn into dusk. "Guess I'll be camping outdoors tonight," he sighed, continuing to walk down the path. "Well, I do need to save my money, for when the weather turns unpleasant," Kenshin said to himself optimistically. "I suppose I'll keep walking until dusk approaches."

Kenshin continued to walk for fifteen more minutes, when he finally spotted some houses in the distance. "Ah," Kenshin said relieved. "Perhaps some kind villagers will give this one some lodging for the night." By the time he reached the village, twilight had already set in, and he felt the temperature begin to drop. He entered the silent village, looking for any trace of a villager. "Hello?" Kenshin yelled quietly, not wanting to cause a ruckus if there were any villagers inhabiting it.

No response.

He peeked through the window of a nearby house. The atmosphere of the house was cold and deserted. All that was in the house was some broken furniture and a hole in the roof. He glanced at another house. Same dilapidated structure. It looked as if no one had inhabited this village in years. "Another village fallen victim to the Bakumatsu," Kenshin said solemnly. "Well, at least this will prove to be shelter for the night," he said optimistically once again. He looked for a suitable house to camp in. There weren't many houses to choose from though. Either the house had a wide hole in the roof or the house was completely destroyed. Kenshin decided to lodge in a house at the far end of the village. It had a hole in the roof, but it wasn't as nearly has big as the others. "Oh well," he began, "A small hole is better than a big hole, that it is."

As he walked past the abandoned houses, a rustle came from a nearby pile of wood and bricks that were once a house. Kenshin stopped in his track, listening to the noise behind him. A wild animal? "It sounds too small to be a person, but still…" As he said this, the sound of foot steps began to creep up behind him. Kenshin remained without turning around in order to see his stalker, his hand reaching for the sakabatou. _Whatever it is, I'm ready_, Kenshin thought as he prepared himself for a potential battle. The sakabatou was released from its sheath as Kenshin twisted his body, facing his would-be opponent.

"Oro?" Kenshin said quizzically as he faced his foe: air.

Kenshin looked around him, but saw no apparitions anywhere. "I would have sworn that I heard foot-"

Just then, he was interrupted by barks coming from in front of him. Kenshin looked down at his feet to see a small dog, a puppy. "Ah!" Kenshin sighed relieved. "So you're my stalker." He placed the sakabatou back in its sheath in order to free his hands to pick up the dog. _He's, pretty cute, _Kenshin said, smiling at the puppy's chubby appearance. "A little guy like you shouldn't be out here all by yourself. Is your owner nearby?" Once again, he looked around the abandoned village, but was unable to spot any other person. "Maybe his owner is nearby…" he hypothesized. Kenshin decided to walk toward the end of the village into the forest, where maybe he could find the puppy's rightful owner. If not, Kenshin would have a camping companion for the night. As he walked toward the edge of the forest in the village's corner, the puppy become alert while he sniffed out the air. He began to bark and wiggle in Kenshin's clutch, trying to escape. "Is something the matter?" Kenshin asked to dog, fully aware that he would receive no answer. The puppy finally managed to wiggle out of Kenshin grip, running toward an opposite edge of the forest, barking frantically. "Hey!" Kenshin yelled. "Come back!" Kenshin chased after the puppy to a halt. He saw the puppy yelp toward a dark patch in the ground. He couldn't tell if it was dead grass or a patch that was once pavement. "You shouldn't run so far away from-" Kenshin came to a sudden halt as he reached the edge of a deep hole. _So that was that dark patch_, he thought as he edged away. _I suppose it was once a well…_

The dog continued to bark at the darkness below, but Kenshin ignored this as he picked the dog up and walked away.

Suddenly, Kenshin heard something coming from the well. "Is that, crying?" Kenshin said. As Kenshin listened closely, the dog stopped barking, almost as if he knew Kenshin was finally helping. The silence made the noise from the well become more audible. Yes. It was sobbing. The dogs owner perhaps? Whoever it was, they needed help.

Quickly, Kenshin snapped around, releasing the puppy as he ran toward the well's edge. "Hello?!" he yelled. "Is somebody down there?!"

* * *

Kaoru's sobbing was interrupted by a voice from above. She sniffled as she gathered her voice in order to yell as loud as she could. "Hello?!" Kaoru yelled softly. All of her crying must have made her voice much quieter. She was afraid that whomever was above couldn't hear her.

"Are you all right?!" the voice asked. Kaoru was frantically relieved. The voice had heard her. "Help me!" she yelled. "It's cold and-!" Kaoru felt herself begin to cry again. She was so scared. Would this mystery person - who was apparently a man - be able to get her out? But what would he do to her if he got her out? Would he just leave her there, alone and abandoned, or-? Kaoru began to whimper at that thought, but continued to hope that whomever it was would guide her back to her to safety. "Hold on!" the man yelled. "I'll get you out of there, ok?!" "Ok!" she answered back. Kaoru began to wonder how he would get her out. If he went to get a rope in order to pull her out, that would mean he would have to go away… Leaving her in the cold, dark well for who knew how long.

Just then, a shadowy figure blocked the little light that remained from the sky. _Is he coming down here? _Kaoru thought as she moved toward the wall standing clear of the man. She braced herself for the splash of cold water in her face upon the man's impact with the water, but felt nothing more than a few drops of water on her face. _He landed so softly_, _from so high, _Kaoru thought to herself as she tried to examine her would-be savior as best as she could in the darkness of the well. She couldn't make out his specific features, but could see that he was not an old man, but a young man, since he was physically fit enough to jump down into the well and landed on his feet the way he did. The young man stood up and walked toward Kaoru, who flinched as he approached her. He held out his hand to her. "Don't worry," the man said to her warmly and reassuringly. "Everything will be okay, that it will." Kaoru began to seriously contemplate if everything would really be alright. A strange young man just jumps down into the well with her and everything would be alright? Despite this, and despite the fact that she could barely see in the dark, Kaoru could tell that the young man meant what he said, and she could almost feel a smile on his face. She willingly gave her hand to the young man, and finally felt a warmth not caused by tears, but by kindness and safety.

A silent yelp escaped from her mouth as the young man gently jolted her body upward into his clutches. "Now hold on to me," he said calmly. Kaoru felt her face become hot. Was she blushing? She did what he told her, and clutched to his gi as he entered a crouching position, as if he was prepared to jump. _What is he doing? _Kaoru thought with a confused face. _He doesn't really think he can jump all the way to the sur-_

Kaoru stopped as she felt their bodies disconnect from gravity as the young man jumped upward, away from her dank, underground prison. Kaoru was stricken with awe and confidence at the fact that he was able to jump this high, but clutched onto his gi tighter and closed her eyes with fear. "Young miss? You can open your eyes now," the young man said to Kaoru. She opened them hesitantly, but was relieved to find him and herself on the dry earth, unharmed. Almost instantly, she was greeted by a more than anxious Yuta, who was so anxious in fact that he tried to jump up the young man in a failed attempt to be reunited with his owner. "It looks like somebody is happy to see you, young miss," the young man said to Kaoru with a smile. Finally, Kaoru gazed up at her savior, and her face turned red upon seeing the young. He looked quite young (and handsome), around fifteen or sixteen, but he could have been older. The young man had striking red hair, which was tied in a high ponytail, and his deep violet eyes sparkled like the stars in the vestige of the sunset. What stood out even more was his cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. Should Kaoru had been frightened at what the young man must have done in order to receive that ominous marking? Kaoru surely wasn't, because she was crying into the strange, young mans red gi.

"What is the matter, young miss?" the young man asked Kaoru with worry. "There's nothing to be afraid of anymore. You're safe now, that you are."

"I know," Kaoru said softly. "I was just so scared! And- I didn't think anybody would ever come for me!" Kaoru didn't care if he was a perfect stranger. She continued to cry profusely and dug her face into his gi, while he held her reassuringly.

* * *

"Hmmm. I should go down this road next," Kenshin contemplated to himself. It was dusk now, and it looked like Kenshin was going to camp out in the wilderness after all, after he returned the young miss safely back to her family. After the young miss wept into his shoulder for a sizable amount of time, she eventually calmed down after Kenshin assured her that everything was alright (Though he made sure that he comforted her in the right way. He supposed that the young miss was only around seven or eight.). The young miss wanted to be reunited with her puppy - Yuta was what she called him - but upon stepping onto the ground, found that she was unable to stand, due to her foot being in extreme pain. Upon inspecting her foot, he diagnosed a severely twisted ankle, but gladly not broken, which the young miss assumed it was. Her foot clearly too injured to walk on (And apparently a potential cold would set in if she didn't get warm from her kimono being soaked.), Kenshin wrapped his outer gi around the young miss and let her ride on his back. Yuta would have to wait a little while longer to be in his owner's possession.

While they walked in the waxing darkness, Kenshin began to ponder as to why the young girl currently sleeping on his back was out in the wilderness all alone. From the look of her kimono - which appeared to have recently become filthy - she was not a homeless child. And aside from that, street children were only common in the cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto, and the chances of a young girl surviving in the forest without any other children to help her was very slim. So Kenshin came to the conclusion that she simply got separated from her family, probably from exploring, or better yet, looking for a certain lost dog. _It must have been terrifying, being alone at such a young age, _he thought to himself. Of course, Kenshin was no stranger to the feeling, since he himself was left alone in the world at around the age of this girl. Two times in Kenshin's previous life he could not help those who needed it, the first being his family who was stricken with cholera during a famine, the second being the three teenaged girls who defended a scared a shaking Shinta with their bodies from bloodthirsty bandits. Yes, the feeling was familiar and unsettling. But at least Kenshin came along in time to prevent similar tragic incidents that happened to him from happening to this young lass, who was the future of the new era, and perhaps so much more…

Through the thick foliage of the dark forest, lights that could only come from a nearby house were in view. Be they her family or neighbors, someone in that house could help the young miss, maybe even direct Kenshin to some lodging for the night. Of course, Kenshin would put the girl's needs in front of his own, and as long as she was safe and sound, he didn't mind camping back in the abandoned village or the clearing juxtaposing it.

Kenshin saw that the house was much larger than a normal house once he had crossed the threshold of the forest and field of flowers. The size and structure told him that it was in fact a small dojo, but it was still capable of housing a family in it as well. Making his way through the pasture, Kenshin spotted two figures on the front engawa. They were both older men, though one looked more youthful than the man standing next to him. The youthful looking man looked far more frantic than the older man, and he was shouting out into the wilderness, calling for somebody.

"KAORU!" yelled the man, with fear in his voice, so he was not yelling out of anger. _Perhaps this is the name of the young miss, _Kenshin thought, quickening his pace toward the two men.

"Kamiya-san, quiet down for a second and calm down. I'll go into town and gather a search party. We'll find Kaoru-chan," Kouji said calmly, putting his hand on Koshijirou's shoulder, which was immediately slapped away by his distressed friend's hand.

"I'll yell as loud as I want until I find her, Kouji! What if she's nearby and just hurt?! What if-"

"Shhh! Wait! Do you hear that?"

Though he didn't want to, Koshijirou complied and listened. All he heard were crickets, and then the sound of barking, which was growing louder.

"Yuta!" Koshijirou realized as he began to run down the veranda toward the barking, coming from the field. He and Kouji, who followed, met with the small dog, who was alone. Still, Yuta barked, and though he could not speak the human's tongue, he tried his best to tell the men to walk toward the pasture. "What is it Yuta?! Where is Kaoru?!" Koshijirou shouted, almost as if he was expecting an answer from the canine. His friend's attention on the dog, Kouji looked toward the field and heard the sound of grass rustling.

"Wait! Look!"

A distressed Koshijirou looked up to see a figure small in stature walking toward them. Their back was disfigured, but he could not tell if it was a birth defect or if they were carrying something on their back. Still, the figure was a stranger, a stranger who came out of the woods that his dear daughter disappeared in. Koshijirou therefore took an offensive stance and grabbed his bokken from his hip. "Who are you?!" he demanded.

Eyes filled with fury soon turned to wide and shocked eyes as the figure stepped into the luminance of the dojo, to reveal a short, red-headed boy of about seventeen or eighteen. And on his back was his beloved: Kaoru.

Without saying a word, Koshijirou rushed to the boy who carried his slumbering daughter on his back. She was clearly weak and dirty. What had happened to her? Had this young man - who was clearly a swordsman - saved her from whatever harmed her, or was he the cause of her harm, and only decided to return her to civilization out of his own sick guilt? For now, whether tormentor or rescuer, he could not be trusted.

"I asked you, 'Who are you?'" he demanded again, this time with more ferocity. Koshijirou made his way to grabbing Kaoru off of the boy's back, but the red-head stepped back with passive intent, which surprised Koshijirou.

"Calm down, sir. I bring you no harm, but your protective nature might disturb her," Kenshin said. Koshijirou stopped, but with a confused looked. Kenshin nodded, for reasons unknown, but perhaps from drawing a conclusion in his mind.

"I take it that you are this girl's father, that I do."

Koshijirou glared at the red-head. "You never answered my question, boy. Who are you and why do you have my daughter?"

Koshijirou stared with light but blazing brown eyes into the passive amethyst eyes before him. Clearly, the boy was not looking for a fight. He was about to answer, when movement stirred on the boy's back. Lethargic, azure eyes opened slowly as the young girl grunted in pain from her ankle. _Where am I? _she thought as she looked around the dark surroundings. _Did the red-headed man bring me here? _As she slowly realized that she was back on Ishii Kouji's grounds and that she was still on the red-head's back, her eyes filled with tears as she saw her father, standing no more than six feet away from her.

"Daddy!" she cried as she reached out her arm toward her fathers. Kenshin took the cue to slowly sling the girl from his back and passing her over to her restless father. She clinked to her father's gi tightly as nuzzled her face into his chest, just as she had did previously with the red-headed man.

"Kaoru-chan!" her father exclaimed softly, a single tear slipping down his cheek (but was inconspicuous to the surrounding audience, Kaoru included). "Where were you!? what happened!?" he questioned immediately. He meant for it to come out more gently, but he sounded more infuriated, which made Kaoru's lips tremble when she tried to give an answer.

"Y-Yuta-kun, h-he went out into the woods, a-and I-I chased after him b-b-bu-" Kaoru was too scared and was crying too much to continue, so she instead continued to weep into her father's gi, refusing to look up to meet his - which she assumed - angry eyes. The rurouni, who thought it a little harsh for her father to be so discreet with the frightened child after being reunited with her, decided to take the girl's case from that point.

"I know I shouldn't be intruding, kind sir, but if you must know I don't think your daughter found a very pleasant time being trapped in the abandoned village when I came across her."

"What?"

Kenshin nodded and continued.

"Yes. It appeared that your daughter strayed too far while looking for her little friend, and landed herself in an abandoned well. I found her while wandering through the village. So please, if you must blame anyone, please blame this one, for not returning your daughter to you safely sooner." And with that, Kenshin bowed deeply to the man and his daughter, who had cried herself into exhaustion once again.

Koshijirou stared dumbfounded at the young man before him. Who was he, to defend his daughter (who really didn't need any defending since she didn't do anything wrong) and to pin the blame - if any blame - on himself? And why would a young man such as himself be wandering in the abandoned village? Nobody, not even a child like Kaoru, would want to be in that bone-chilling place, so why was he? Kouji rested his hand on Koshijirou's shoulder, and cued to him that all of those questions would be answered soon, hopefully. But for now, what was really important was his daughter, who was safe, like she should always be, in his arms.

Turning on his heel, Koshijirou made his way back to the dojo to attend to his daughter's injuries without word, leaving Kenshin in the barely laminated shadows. Then Koshijioru stopped, turning his head slightly, but enough so that Kenshin could see the sincerity in the older man's eyes.

"Thank you."

The man went inside the dojo with his daughter cradled in his arms, the small dog following behind him shortly. Now the only individuals left in the moonlight was Kenshin and the older man. The older man looked at Kenshin with an intense gaze, not as intense as the younger mans, but with scrutinizing eyes. _Could this man know me from the Bakumatsu? _Kenshin thought, gazing with as much scrutiny as the man. The last thing Kenshin wanted was to make enemies with these two men, one clearly being an over-protective father. Sparking the memories of former comrades or enemies would make the situation none better; therefore, Kenshin took to leaving the scene, his mission of the day already completed.

As he turned to leave, a voice stopped him.

"And where are you going?"

Kenshin turned around to the instead cheerful eyes of the man behind him. At first, Kenshin was expecting the man to end the sentence with his famed alter ego's name, but the man's gentle demeanor struck him.

"Oro? This one thought he would take his leave, since he has already returned the daughter to the master of the dojo. I would hate to make the atmosphere more awkward by lingering here, that I would."

The man laughed. "Nonsense! You're not making anybody here awkward except for you and your speech pattern young man. And Kamiya-san is not the master of the dojo: I am," Kouji pointed out. Kenshin blushed at his assumption that the most defensive man on the scene was the master of the dojo.

"Oro! This one is sorry for the wrong assumption, um…"

"Ishii Kouji, young man," he finished.

"Aa. Again, this one is sorry for assuming otherwise, Ishii-san." Kenshin bowed deeply. "But still, I must be on my way. Sorry for the trouble."

He was about to turn away once again when Kenshin felt a firm hand turn him the other direction, toward the dojo.

"More nonsense! You brought Kamiya-san's daughter back to him safely. From your looks, I can tell that you aren't use to lodging in houses very often, and the least I can do is give you lodging to show his gratitude." He eyed him in a playful manner. "And Kaoru-chan's as well."

"Oro?" he said helplessly as he began to be dragged toward the dojo. Kamiya Kaoru. The little girl. Surely Kouji couldn't mean it like _that_: she was only a child! Confused, naïve, and lewd thoughts aside, Kenshin seemed to have no choice in the matter, so it looked as if he would be lodging indoors tonight, and, according to a feeling in his gut, many more nights.

* * *

A/n: You may notice that I changed the genre of this fanfic from "Romance" to "Friendship". That's right: there isn't going to be any lewd, pedophilic behavior in this fic.

After all, Kaoru's only a child.

And besides, the friendship theme really suits this fanfic more than romance. Yeah, it's KenKao, but not _mature _KenKao. All in time, my friends. All in time...


End file.
